Thanks for the link. I've recently been exploring the fandom of a pop cult tv show that has three leads. The rivalry and viciousness of the each lead's fans is more intimidating than anything I have seen on political blogs to date. To see Putin become a pop celebrity with a fandom like that is really very frightening, more so than Putin himself.

Now for something completely different. The election is over, the More-War Party won over the No-Soldiers-in-the-War Party.
Let's get real, let's call Putin names that hurt. Time has long passed for affectionate, cutesy handles such as "Pooty Pute". Time to call a spade a spade or in the case at hand, time to tell the truth that we have already learned from our favorite sources. Adoring fans must be countered. Mocking him is part of the first step, sticks and stones can come soon enough, but getting serious thinkers who have shaped so much of public opinion to weigh in is most important right now because Putin must be stopped and learning what a horrible threat he constitutes is important if we are to summon the will to do it.  Smart people are saying it and I know it is true that because I saw it on the big screen. [35 inches and vivid color]
 Speaking of the devil, or, speaking of Will, here he is, an "expert" [scare quotes intended as such] who agrees with what seems to be the common view as he works to enhance and reinforce that common view.
 http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2014/10/30/George-Will-Putin-Angry...
On the chance that you get a chuckle out of poetic irony, notice the script at the bottom of the screen. " Putin Vrs. The West. Putin Ups Anti-West Rhetoric".
 Will says that Putin is worse than Hitler, worse than Stalin, and that he will grab a protectorate of NATO and dare the West to stop him which he says Obama will surely back down from. Oh the horror, missing another chance for war, but wait, Mara Laisson nearly jumps out of her seat saying that that would be too much, we would have to respond. Then comes Krauthammer. All this over a banner that says 'Putin Ups The Anti-West Rhetoric.

NCD had this to say about Americans in a recent comment, and, though I can offer no proof, I believe he gets lots of things right: Americans are too glued to TV, too easily manipulated by vacuous ideology, too distracted, over entertained, uninterested, uninformed, misinformed, lied to, too little interested, too feeble in objective reasoning to make independent judgments and choices, too convinced there is no role for government to address major issues facing the country, it they even believe there are major issues, to expect anything but more of the same from the federal government.
 So, is Putin a major issue facing our country? Can we, should we, expect more of the same in U.S. foreign policy? There sure does seem to be some strong forces trying to make Putin a devil that needs responding to with force. If we cant starve him into submission we best stock up on yellow ribbons and send in the heroes.
 For anyone interested in hearing a view from another perspective I very much recommend the following audio monolog. I am certainly not saying that I agree with everything in it and don't expect anyone else to buy into it completely if at all. There are things said which might cause a few heads to swell towards the point of exploding but there is also, IMO, much worth considering with the strong possibility that a fair amount of it is correct. I am confident that he has a hell of a lot better perspective on the subject than most any influential voice that gets prime-time airtime to spout neocon bullshit day after day. I found it all interesting but after the introductory segment listeners with interest mostly in the geopolitics of the situation might skip to the 21:50 mark and listen to his evaluation of Putin and the Ukaine. It has some strong criticisms of Putin. It is not all a puff piece any more than an intelligent and fair view of Obama would hold that he is completely right in all his beliefs and actions. There is a strong constituency which believes he is always right though, but even someone inclined to argue that point should agree that he is sometimes right. At one point the speaker makes the case that Putin lied on an important issue in an interesting parallel to an Obama situation. Listen and take from it what you will or ...whatever.

http://www.opensxce.org/vineyardsaker.blogspot.de/The%20Saker%20Podcast%...
 As a side note that was amusing to me, notice which international leader he could easily pass for based only on his voice.

Russian subs have been sneaking around the European coast line.  Portugal escorted one today out of their waters.  It was a survey sub.  They were in Norway's waters a couple of months ago. Putin must be planning a war.